1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shift indicating system for speed change gears of a manually operated automobile transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During driving of an automobile having manually operated speed change gears, if a driver is not given information regarding whether fuel consumption of the automobile is good or not, then the driver normally shifts the speed change gears and operates an accelerator pedal suitably in accordance with a speed of the automobile depending upon a driving sense based on the experience of the driver himself or herself. Accordingly, it is very difficult for a driver to drive an automobile under a condition of optimum fuel consumption in which fuel consumption is maintained at the minimum. It is of course preferable to drive an automobile with a good fuel consumption from the point of view of improving the economy of the automobile. In order to resolve this problem, it may be desired that, during driving, a driver be informed of whether or not the automobile is running in a condition of optimum fuel consumption and that the driver be instructed to effect a shifting operation between different speed positions of a speed change gear if the automobile is operating with bad fuel consumption. If the driver is thus given information regarding whether the fuel consumption is good or not and an instruction to effect a speed change shifting operation in accordance with such information, then the driver will drive the automobile in accordance with the information and the instruction in such a manner than an efficient fuel consumption may be maintained.
In view of these circumstances, several indicating devices have been proposed by which a driver can drive an automobile while maintaining a desired fuel consumption. But, there is not as yet a device than can substantially meet the following requirements: that information regarding fuel consumption is highly reliable; that production cost is very low; that is simple in construction and the reliability of operation is high; that can provide an indication which is easy for a driver to optically notice during driving and from which the driver can easily determine the shifting operation which the driver should effect.